Railway-signal.



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JOHN C.A LINK, OF HIGHBRIDGE, WISCONSIN.

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Speccation of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 21, 190s.

Application tiled March 25, 1907. Serial No. 364.484.

T 0 all whom it may concern: Be it known that JOHN C. LINK, a citizen of United States, residing at Highbridg'e, in the county of Ashland and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Signals, of which the following is a specification. y

My invention relates to railway signals and particularly to an automatic safety signal as auxiliary to the trainorder board now in use. As is well known in railroading when a sub of'lice is called for train movements from the main despatchers oflice it must reply at once red out. As now used however the operator may telegraph red out and not have the danger signal out, or he may in a few moments shiftto clear without either movement being known in the main dey spatchers office except o'n his word that it is so. As provided in my improvements, however, when called on, the despatcher is obliged to move the handle of this signal into red and by doing so the board automatically telegraphs a certain letter or word letting the main despatcher know What the movement has been. Each station will of course, have a different signal and as all despatohers are well able to distinguish metallic or machine sending as distin ished from hand sending the main office wi l bekept in touch with the signals out at each station along the line.

The obj ect of my invention is to provide a signal of this class which will be sure in its action, accurate in its automatic sendingand which may be connected within the main line wires without' disturbing the same.

With these objects in view my invention consists in the following features of construction and arrangement as hereinafter described and pointed out in the accompanying drawings, 'in which,

Figure 1, is an elevation' of my improved signal board andnpparlatus, and Fig. 2, is a cross section through the signal board.

, In the practical embodiment of m 'invention I provide a board 1 semi circu ar in shape and provided on its straight edge with a flange 2. The board 1 is preferably divided into an upper white field 3 and a lower red field 4 and is adapted to be connected in any suitable and known means tothe semaphore or signa-l setting 4apparatus in such a manner that when the swinging arm is in the white leld 3 the signal is white indicating clear7 and when said arm is in the red field the si nal 1s red indicating danger. Pivotal y mounted, midway ofthe board 1 and adjacent the iiange 2, by means of a screw bolt 5, is a swinging signal arm 6 provided with an insulated handle 7, the stem 8 of which is screwed or otherwise fastened within an insulated portion 9 of said arm 6. Arranged within the swinging arm 6 is a mercury cup 10 held in position by means of a cap 11. and

provided with central constrictions 12 divid-l -ing said cup into compartments 13 and 14,

Mounted on the stem of the handle 7 is a contact wheel 15 arranged to travel when the arm 6 is moved, on the broken semi-circular strip 16y mounted on an insulated base 17 on the board l. Arranged between the adjacent ends of the broken comluctingl strip 16 are a series of insulated contact pieces or points 18 which are adapted to mal-:e contact and complete a circuit withthe` Wheel 15 when the arm 6 is moved downward.

Arranged within the chambers 13 and 14 of the mercury cup l2 are contact points 13a and 13b and 14a and 14b respectively, the upper contacts 133L and ILPL being connected by wires 19 to the wire 20, to which the wheel 15 is also connected by a contact arm 21. The wire 20 is connected to the main line circuit 22 at the binding ost 22a, said main line circuit having arrange therein at 2 3 a battery and at 24 a telegraph sounder which is preferably located oflice. The lower contacts 13b and 14b of the mercury cu 12 are connected to a wire 25 by means Io the individual wires 26 and said wire 25 is also connected to the adjacent ends ofthe conducting strip 16 and to the contact pieces 18 by means of the individual wires 27. A wire 28 connected to the wire'25 and to the main line circuit 22 at the binding post 29 completes the board wiring.

It will be seen that I am able, by the means described, to maintain a complete circuit in any stationary position of the swinging signal arm, no matter in which direction the current flows. Taking the board as shown in Fig. 1 the circuit-from binding post 22a through the within the main despatchers board to binding post 29 will be by wires 20 When the swinging arm 6 is moved cause vibrations to pass over the main line.

22 and actuate the instrument 24 in circuit therewith to spell a word in the telegraphic alphabet. It will be seen that when the arm 6 1s in the downward position the mercury will rest entirely within the chamber 13 thus maintaining a closed circuit through the contact 13a and 13b and on the upward movement of said arm said mercury will remain by gravity within the chamber 13 until after the passage ot the wheel 15 over the contacts 18 thus preventing any vibrations passing over the main line.

It will be understood that each station on the line will be equip ed with an apparatus such as described spe ing different words so that the main despatcher will know liust when each station shows a red or danger signal. It will also be seen that when the swinging arm is down, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, the contacts 13a and 13h will be connected thus taking the current from the wheel 15 so that there will be no actuation of the instrument 24 on the upward movement of the arm 6 over the contacts 18 to show clear.

1. In a device of the character described, the combination with a main line circuit, of a swinging signal arm arranged in circuit therewith, means for maintaining a cornplete circuit through said arm when the same 1s stationary, a rolling contact carried by said swinging arm, and a plurality of set contact pieces arranged in the path of travel of said rolling contact for the purpose described.

2. In a signal board arranged in circuit with the main line, a swinging signalmounted on said board and wired to maintain a complete circuit through said board when said arm is stationary, a rolling contact carried by said swinging arm, and a plurality of s aced set contact ieces arranged in the pat of travel of and a( apted to contact with said rolling contact for the purpose described.

3. ln a signal board arranged in circuit with a main line, a swinging signal arm, a

-mercury cup carried thereon, contacts arranged within said cup and connected to said main line and ada ted to maintain a complete circuit throug said mercury when said arm is stationary, a contact wheel carried by said swinging arm, and a plurality of spaced set c ontact pieces insulated from one another and arranged on said board in the path of travel of and adapted to'contact said contact Wheel when said swinging arm is moved.

In testimony whereof l affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN c. LINK.

Witnesses:

C. F. PETERSON, C. P. PEcK. 

